German Pioneers in Texas; A Brief History of Their Hardships, Struggles and Achievements Page: 4
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intention of material development. The main idea in those
old days was territorial expansion-beat the other fellow
to it and then have a war about it.
In 1821 Mexico succeeded in establishing its independence
of Spain. Prior to the revolution by which Mexico
became independent of Spain, Spain had been very strict
in the matter of granting colonization privileges to the subjects
of other nations, but the new Mexican government
adopted an entirely opposite policy, and for its own selfish
good got too liberal. It was the pioneer in the land grant
boom business. With wild liberality it made enormous concessions
to any foreigner or native making application.
All a promoter had to do to secure a vast grant of land was
to agree to pay for surveying the land, recording the deeds,
and to promise to locate a certain number of families on
the land awarded him within a certain period of time.
Naturally such a policy would lead to land grant and coloni-zation
schemes, if not to immediate and permanent results.
In 1823 there was a revolution in Mexico, and Emperor
lturbide was forced to abdicate. A new republic was established
and the land granting and colonization policy of
the government was changed to some extent. Under the
new government not more than eleven sitios, or practically
50,000 acres, would be granted to any one person. The
purpose of this law was to prevent land monopoly. Fifty
thousand acres would be a gigantic land monopoly at
present, but it was a mere pittance in those days.
Moses Austin was the first American to secure a Texas
colonization grant from the Mexican government, his grant
being secured some two years before the change in the colonization
laws of Mexico. Moses Austin died soon after
securing his land grant, and the colonization project was
transferred to his son, Stephen F. Austin. This was followed
by numerous colonization grants.
There was a great deal of humbuggery and promotion
graft in connection with many of these colonization schemes.
In several projects good intentions were all mixed up witl
lack of common sense and with impractical methods, and a
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Biggers, Don Hampton, 1869-1957. German Pioneers in Texas; A Brief History of Their Hardships, Struggles and Achievements, book, 1925; Fredericksburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth29394/m1/10/: accessed May 2, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting University of Texas at Arlington Library.